Which was especially my point in this case.

I’m not willing to assume every political appointee is a complete dolt.

I don’t believe I said that, anywhere.

I disagree with this administration’s policies, but being a Democrat doesn’t mean you need a drool cup.

I don’t believe I said this, either. I believe my particular point, implied in what I said, was that this administration had stuffed its cabinet-level positions–meaning heads of Departments; Secretary of State, Attorney General, etc.–with a bunch of fools, crooks and liars. The long string of craptacular decisions being made on a practically weekly basis doesn’t do much to controvert this finding.

Many of those selected for appointments are at the top of their professions.

Normally, yes. This administration has been abnormal in that and other regards.

I have a good friend within the government, an avowed conservative, who briefed an Obama-appointed Deputy Secretary recently and found him to be very professional and competent.

A Deputy Secretary is not a cabinet-level position, which is where my criticisms were directed.

Folks like to take shots at how poorly government is run…

This administration is suffering so many scandals and embarrassments, how could one not criticize? And if you’ve noticed, it’s being criticized from both ends of the political spectrum.

…but I don’t see many lining up to take jobs within government to improve it.

Massive amounts of corruption and nepotism might have something to do with that. However, there are many people who are stepping up to run for office in 2010. Even one of our own Threedonia alumni is doing so.

Indeed, but most presidencies retain people from the prior administrations, appointments are made throughout a term and secretaries are as thick as bamboo in Washington. The Obama administration, still only less than a year old, has also been painfully slow in getting appointments through, such that a third of the open posts were still vacant mid-year. They aren’t going to replace eight years of Bush appointments with a snap of their fingers.

In any case, you’re missing the main point, which is that, by all appearances, the top of the hierarchy needs drool cups, while it’s people lower on the totem pole who are doing the day-to-day management and making sure things don’t careen out of control. How far you have to go down before the political stupidity is no longer at noxious levels is certainly up for speculation and debate.